Candy, Candy, Candy! Memories of a husky kid.

Growing up as a chubby kid I have many candy and sugar memories that still resonate with me today. Yeah, I was a chunker. Even wore “husky” sized pants. Thanks to an Italian mom and her side of the family that all lived on our street I was constantly treated to delicious food, and just as many snacks no matter what house I wandered into on any given day. Even though I don’t ever want to wear “husky” sized pants again I do miss those happy days of my youth with my great aunts and uncles who are now long gone. Wonderful memories remain, and sometimes all it takes is a little reminder to bring them to the front of my mind. Usually, they are food related, and walking into Economy Candy recently brought some flooding back. Here are a few that are some of my old childhood favorites, and many that could be found in the candy dishes at my relatives’ homes.

It is amazing how diverse sweets (British phrase for candy) can be around the world when so many things are now universal. I’m not overly keen on American chocolate such as Hersheys. I suppose you get used to the sweets you are brought up with. So Cadburys and our version of milk chocolate is always a preference. Mars and Nestle are universal brands though so easy to recognise.The Guy recently posted…Alkmaar – guest post by Savannah Grace

Fun sticks are the best, it’s sugar, sugar and more sugar 🙂 I have a serious sweet tooth and was actually eating a candy bar while reading this post! Luckily I also have a very fast metabolism and a treadmill 🙂Frugal Foodie in WV recently posted…Gluten Free Pecan Apple Pancakes

Hi! Yes, I read that article. Hey, remember when Cracker Jack had real toys in them? Cereal too. Bazooka back in the day was great. I got a lot of free stuff from those comics. Surprised I don’t have a lot of caveties.filbio310 recently posted…Easy guy breakfast on a rainy couch potato day.

Same here, about cavities… I can only attribute my good teeth to genetics. Yes, REAL TOYS! Totally better than McDonald’s happy meal crap. My fave was the “thwok”. Remember that? A little plastic round thing that resembled a bicycle wheel with spokes, at the end of each spoke was a suction cup, and when you flung it at a smooth flat surface it would stick. I think they must have come in Captain Crunch or Count Chocula, my fave cereals.

Economy Candy is a religious experience. Especially after those endless Bloody Mary’s at Clinton St. Baking Co. The last time I was there I walked around in breathless reverie.

You don’t know this about me, but years ago my folks owned an ice cream parlor, which I managed in the summer. This meant that I got to order all the Penny Candy we sold in the big antique glass case. Sorta like an alcoholic owning a liquor store.Gail {A Stack of Dishes} recently posted…Coconut Chocolate Tart

Save the Fun Dip, i usually didn’t go for these types of candies. I grew up at the Jersey Shore, and I had a big sweet tooth (still do, as evidenced by my Foursquare and Yelp check ins at bakeries and sweet shops. 🙂 But candy was weird for me. I didn’t really care for the Smarties and pez, and always traded up with people for chocolate based candies, like Reeses, Kit Kats or Snickers!

But I remember growing up, there was a place called Peddlers Village in Manasquan. It’s been revamped as a type of “outlet mall” but they used to have this bakery and candy shop there that brings back warm fuzzies. They had a “cookie cone,” which was a paper cone filled with soft mini cookies. They ROCKED. And the candy shop used to have the bubble gum cigs, which IMO were better than the candy…because you could blow on the confectionary sugar in it, and it looked like smoke (we were raised in a real politically incorrect era, haha).

I remember Peddlers Village! I still love the cany cigarettes, and sometimes you can still find them in certain stores. I used to buy the gum ones you mentioned, and the white sugar candy ones with the red dye tip on it. So politically incorrect but so good!filbio310 recently posted…Subway cell phone torture. Thanks NYC. What’s next?